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On the new Google Logo

by Michael Rock
2015

The only-thing engineers love more than Escher prints are primary colors, perhaps they appeal to their sense of reductive order. Remember the rainbow Apple? Microsoft Windows? NeXT? Google has always packaged its unfathomably complex, eerily invasive, world-dominating operation in a cutesy wrapper of bright tones and charming cartoons: the graphic equivalent of all those creativity-inspiring foosball alcoves and Lego pits. The forced naiveté of the past identity — friendly serif font in Lifesaver™ hues — has now been re-imagined in full Montessori: even rendering the inaugural appearance in crayonimation. The new sans serif typography would be at home on a long strip over a classroom blackboard — maybe with a dotted blue line marking the x-height — lending it an Electric Company vibe (as in TV show not the public utility). In case you miss the pre-school reference, the rotated lowercase “e” hammers the point home with an obvious wink. What’s the message? We’re innocent.